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2014
Recommended Citation
Sehic, A.(2014). The Conscious Guitarist: Alexander Technique and Body Mapping for Guitarists. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/3570
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THE CONSCIOUS GUITARIST: ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE AND BODY MAPPING
FOR GUITARISTS
by
Alma Sehic
Bachelor of Arts
William Carey College, 2006
Master of Music
Appalachian State University, 2008
Music Performance
School of Music
2014
Accepted by:
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to acknowledge the USC SPARC (Support to Promote
for Guitarists. The project is featured under the body mapping chapters (chapters 4–8).
Educators’ (AE) training sources used in this dissertation. These are the AE training
manuals (based on the book and related course: What Every Musician Needs to Know
About the Body by Barbara Conable); and William Conable’s images (anatomical charts)
from the same book—available to trainees and licensed Andover Educators only. In
addition, I would like to underline Jenifer Johnson’s applied version of the same book:
What Every Violinist Needs to Know About the Body—for providing me with an in-depth,
granting special permission to use the “Vertebral Column” image from his book, The
Body Moveable.
Jerald Harscher and Laury Christie, who have been leading me through the process of
iii
And last, but not least, I would like to thank my mentor and adviser Christopher
Berg—for his continuous support, numerous writing revisions, and for his expert
I am truly thankful to each and every one of you as you played an important role
iv
ABSTRACT
Musicians “move” for a living, yet many guitarists (among other instrumentalists)
seem to be unaware of the quality of their movements in playing and teaching the
instrument. This may simply be due to the lack of appropriate movement training and
body awareness incorporated into current teaching practices, which leaves guitarists
After introducing the basis and principles of Alexander Technique and Body
exploration of movement necessary for the process of discovering and changing the
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………..iii
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………v
vi
3.8 The Power of Visualization ................................................................................ 27
CHAPTER 6: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUTH THE ARMS AND HANDS .......................51
6.2 Mapping the Finger Joints and the Bones of the Hand ....................................... 63
vii
7.2 Guitar Support vs. Footstool ............................................................................... 73
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................82
viii
LIST OF FIGURES
ix
Figure 6.9 The three-jointed wrist .................................................................................... 60
x
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Beginning with Descartes (1596-1650), Western cultures have viewed the mind
and the body as two separate entities. Descartes argued that a body is an object, like
other objects in the physical world, and therefore is subject to the same causal laws.1 The
mind, on the other hand, is immaterial and thus operates according to different, abstract
principles.2 Descartes’ ideas of dualism have been deeply ingrained in modern society’s
psycho-somatic nature and we realize that pain medications serve only to treat the
On the other hand, eastern philosophies such as Buddhism and Taoism have
of this approach can be seen in the traditional Chinese medicine paradigm where health
“internal integrated whole of the person and the external environment.”3 The patients
1
Leder, as cited in Gary Kielhofner, Model of Human Occupation: Theory and
Application (Baltimore: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2008), 70.
2
Keilhofner, 71.
3
Yang, as cited in Jackson & Segal, Social Work Health and Mental Health, 262.
1
are diagnosed according to patterns or groups of symptoms, where every pattern has an
Recently, western medicine has begun to integrate the mind and the body. The
emotions they generate, are translated into physical changes.5 This approach to healing
uses the power of thoughts and emotions to positively influence physical health.
along with the information on how our body is designed in order to move, will be
explored through two interrelated somatic disciplines: Alexander Technique and Body
sensitivity towards change, guitarists will take control over their own well-being, which
The term somatics derives from the Greek “the study of the body,” and generally
refers to any practical study of how the body operates in movement. This relatively new
field of study originated about one hundred years ago when several of the pioneers in this
field made personal discoveries that gradually led to the development of the first somatic
4
Brian B. Carter, “Top Ten Ways Chines Medicine Can Help You,”
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/health/top-10-ways-chinese-medicine-can-help-you-part-1.html
(accessed November 10, 2014).
5
Ronald Glaser & Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser, “Stress-Induced Immune Dysfunction: Implications
for Health,” http://www.nature.com/nri/journal/v5/n3/full/nri1571.html (accessed November 10, 2014).
2
methods. The most prominent pioneers are F.M. Alexander, Moshe Feldenkrais, Rudolph
Laban, Irmgard Bartinieff, Joseph Pilates, Alexander Lowen, and Mabel Todd.6
Technique. Dr. Frank Pierce Jones, a former director of the Tufts University Institute for
the Psychological research, describes the technique as “a means for changing stereotyped
defines it as a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement,
the 1970’s in the teaching studio of cellist William Conable, and then further developed
by Barbara Conable.9 In Body Mapping, one examines the perceptions (maps) about
one’s own body and its movement, and compares it with accurate information presented
by teachers, books, kinesthetic experience, etc. In this process, one learns to recognize the
source of inadequate and pernicious movement and replace it with more efficient
movement based on the reality about one’s structure, function and size.10
William and Barbara Conable are trained Alexander Technique teachers and they
be trained in both. Body Mapping training is based on the book and related course, What
6
Jennifer Johnson, What Every Violinist Needs to Know About the Body (Chicago: GIA
Publications, 2009), 12.
7
Micahel J. Gelb, Body Learning: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique, 2nd ed. (New
York: Henry Holt and Company, 2.
8
Barbara Conable, What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body: The Practical
Application of Body Mapping to Making Music (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1998), 5.
9
In the “Info Section” of What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body, Barbara uses the
word “discovery” of Body Mapping, when crediting William for it.
10
Ibid., “Info Section.”
3
Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body, written by Barbara Conable. This course
musicians and music educators to accurately support and enhance movement in practice
and performance with the goal of increasing ease while reducing and eliminating
injury.”11
dissertation, more emphasis will be given to Body Mapping because it provides a more
practical means of learning. Barbara Conable outlines the main reasons for integrating
Body Mapping (BM) with the Alexander Technique (AT) (as opposed to teaching the
1. Body Mapping speeds up the learning because most of the tension is the result of
mine].
In addition to these, Body Mapping is designed specifically to deal with movement issues
of performing musicians.
11
Andover Educators: Teaching the Art of Movement in Music, www.bodymap.org
12
Barbara Conable, Lecture Hand-Out, Oregon 2002.
4
1.2 The Need for Study
Multiple surveys have revealed that many musicians are suffering, or at some
point have suffered, from pain, technical limitations, and injuries. The largest study
conducted (by Fishbein and Middlestadt, 1986) on the 48 affiliate orchestras at the
- 76% of them reported that their ability to perform was adversely affected by the
medical problem
Another study reported by The New York Times revealed that 40 percent of
conservatory students experienced injuries that forced them to stop playing for a time or
even to end their careers. The studies furthermore showed that guitarists and pianists are
The reasons behind such a high percentage of injured musicians can be found in
the lack of appropriate movement training and body awareness in pedagogy and
performance. Because most musicians and teachers pay little attention to the quality of
their movement in playing, there is a need for somatic education to enhance the
13
M. Fishbein et al., “Medical Problems Among ISCOM Musicians: Overview of a National
Survey,” Medical Problems of Performing Artists, no.3 (1998), 1-8.
14
Jerald Harscher, “Body Mapping for Better Playing,”
http://www.berklee.edu/bt/222/body_mapping.html (accessed November 5, 2014).
5
development of performance abilities and to prevent injuries.
The sources for studying somatic disciplines are limited, especially in the realm of
substantial and detailed approach to this topic. As a result, teaching advice is frequently
based on personal experiences and perceptions teachers believe to be true about the body
and its movement. These perceptions may not be true. These misperceptions—sometimes
based on cultural myths about our body—can lead to vague instruction or directives that
can be misleading to a guitar student. This is why the directives such as “bring you
shoulders down,” “sit straight,” or “relax” need to be replaced with a more accurate
All of these reasons point to a need for a new approach to teaching: an approach
that will incorporate somatic disciplines into current teaching practices and help guitarists
reach their full potential. The purpose of this study is therefore to examine the Alexander
educate guitarists to understand their physical movements better, how these affect their
artistic interpretations, and how to practice in the most efficient way possible. My hope
is that this approach will prevent the likelihood of repetitive strain injuries, and help
6
1.3 Methodology and Procedures
Alexander Technique and Body Mapping are methods of promoting higher self-
procedures and principles will lead to the development of a “conscious guitarist” and
his/her artistry. More attention will be given to the application and studying of Body
Mapping, as a more practical means of correcting faulty body perceptions (i.e., body
maps).
will minimize physical and emotional stress in playing, prevent repetitive strain injuries,
As self-awareness is a process itself, the chapters in this study will gradually lead
guitarists through this process of change and self-discovery. After becoming acquainted
with F. M. Alexander’s discoveries and his technique, a conscious guitarist will be taken
ideas, and principles. The journey will continue with the introduction and practical
application of Body Mapping. The chapters on “The Whole Body Balance in Guitar
Playing,” and “What You Need to Know About the Arms and Hands” will provide
conscious guitarist’s own body maps, and the consequent movement in playing. The
instrument; and the final chapter will summarize the main points of “The Self-
7
It should be mentioned that studying and understanding the anatomy alone does
not automatically lead towards healthy movement. The correction of movement happens
in part through kinesthesia—the sensory perception in the muscles and tissues. The
conscious guitarist should therefore follow the guidelines for movement exploration
The self-learning tools used in the Body Mapping process include self-inquiries
(examining the truth about one’s body map and comparing it with the information
presented in the text), palpation (self-examination by touch) and visual aids (anatomical
charts).
common among all musicians. My intention is to educate guitarists about these mis-maps
F.M. Alexander’s discoveries and ideas were considered revolutionary for the
Western world in the last decade of the nineteenth century. His first book, entitled Man’s
1923 he wrote his second book, Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual.16 The
book influenced the philosopher John Dewey, who established one of the first Alexander
Technique studios. Alexander described the process of his technique in The Use of the
15
F.M. Alexander, Man’s Supreme Inheritance. E.P. Dutton and Co., Inc., 1942 (Long Beach,
California: Centerline Press, 1988).
16
F.M. Alexander, Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual. E.P. Dutton and Co., Inc.,
1923 (Long Beach, California: Centerline Press, 1985).
8
Self in 1932.17 His final book, The Universal Constant in Learning from 1941, focused
exercises that embraced the mind-body unity.18 This influenced some of his supporters to
Numerous sources on the Alexander Technique are available. Online sources such
information on this subject. These websites include lists of conducted studies, the
available literature, the articles published on these websites, and lists with links to many
While much has been written about the Alexander Technique, its application to
guitar pedagogy is limited. Mastering Guitar Technique: Process and Essence (1997) by
Christopher Berg is perhaps the only guitar method book containing devoted research on
movement training.20 Drawing upon methods of Feldenkrais and Alexander, along with
anatomy sources, Berg explores the concepts and principles of movement in guitar
playing. His introductory sections on “Our Primary Instrument” and “The Use of the
Self,” make this guitar method among the first sources resembling Alexander’s principles
of good use.
17
F.M. Alexander, The Use of The Self. E.P. Dutton and Co., Inc., 1932 (Long Beach, California:
Centerline Press, 1984).
18
F.M. Alexander, The Universal Constant of Living. E.P. Dutton and Co., Inc., 1941 (Long
Beach, California: Centerline Press, 1986).
19
Gelb, 17-19.
20
Christopher Berg, Mastering Guitar Technique: Process and Essence (Pacific: Mel Bay
Publications, Inc., 1997).
9
In his most recent book, Summa Kitharologica, Vol 1: The Physiology of Guitar
Playing (2013), Ricardo Iznaola studies an in depth-anatomy and physiology and applies
it to guitar playing.21 Although this is one of the most in-depth sources available on this
topic, this book does not use any of the methods of movement training, such as the
Alexander Technique, Body Mapping, Feldenkrais, etc. In addition to that, the amount of
anatomy information provided might be overwhelming even for a serious guitar student,
and may not be easily applicable unless combined with appropriate movement training.
Ethan Kind, a certified Alexander Technique teacher who holds a Masters degree
Guitar Technique” in the Soundboard.22 Other than these sources, no extensive study of
Alexander Technique has been devoted to guitar playing. No thesis or dissertation has
Body Mapping, as a more recent method, has even fewer sources. The book, What
Every Musician Needs to Know About The Body, published in 1998, has since been
Know About The Body has been written for pianists, flutists, violinists, trombonists and
oboe players. The unpublished book, What Every Guitarist Needs to Know About the
Body, by Gerald Harscher, has been in progress for several years. Mr. Harscher is
currently the only guitarist certified as an Andover Educator in the US. In his article,
“Body Mapping for Better Playing,” Harsher introduces the Body Mapping principles to
21
Ricardo Iznaola, Summa Kitharologica, Vol 1: The Physiology of Guitar Playing (Pacific: Mel
Bay Publications, 2013).
22
Ethan Kind, “The Alexander Technique Approach to Classical Guitar Technique,” Soundboard
vol.34, no.4.
10
a general music audience.23 His most recent article, “Whole Arms, Healthy Hands,”
Other Body Mapping publications are listed on the Andover Educator’s (AE)
versions of What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body, this doctoral document
will be the first extensive source written on Body Mapping for guitarists.
23
Jerald Harscher, “Body Mapping for Better Playing,”
http://www.berklee.edu/bt/222/body_mapping.html (accessed November 5, 2014).
24
Jerald Harsher, “Whole Arms, Healthy Hands,” Soundboard, vol.40, no.1, 2014.
25
See footnote 9.
11
CHAPTER 2
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
While establishing his career in his early twenties as a Shakespearean actor, he suffered
from chronic hoarseness, which resulted in losing his voice. After consulting voice
teachers and doctors, who advised him to rest, he found that the symptoms of the
hoarseness would appear as soon as he would begin to recite again. Alexander decided to
he stiffened his neck, which caused his head to pull back; he depressed his larynx; and he
gasped with every inhalation. Deducing that this “misuse pattern” was responsible for his
problem, he tried to prevent himself from pulling his head back, which led to the
disappearance of the other two harmful tendencies. For the first time he realized he can
use the power of choice to stop the habitual misuse patterns. Alexander called this power
of choice “use”—to describe the process of control over the unwanted habits.27 Gelb
states that “the choices we make about what we do with ourselves to a large extent
determine the quality of our lives.” This means that we can make a conscious decision to
26
Gelb, 9-10.
27
Ibid., 11.
12
Trying to improve his functioning further, he experimented by putting his head
forward and discovered that when he depressed his larynx, he would also lift his chest,
which in turn would narrow his back, and shorten his muscles. Now he understood that
his vocal problem was not influenced only by his head and neck but also by the poor use
of his entire body. Later on he discovered that the relationship of the head, neck and torso
is the primary factor in organizing the human movement, which he called the “primary
control.”28
While applying primary control, Alexander realized that he could see his body
misuse in the mirror, but was unable to feel it. It became clear to him that he needed to
use his mind too in order to make a change.29 This is when he formulated his ideas of
psycho-physical union.
Using a new approach of mind-body connection was not an easy task for
Alexander. He realized that stimuli to misuse himself were much stronger than his ability
to change. Next, he discovered that he was relying on what “felt right,” when in fact
these feelings were all wrong. By learning that his sense of what felt right was actually
wrong, Alexander freed himself from this dependence and started relying on conscious
reasoning alone.30
The next step was to practice conscious reasoning. Stopping the habitual pattern,
he realized, can only be done by “practicing receiving a stimulus of misuse, and refusing
28
Ibid.
29
Ibid.
30
Ibid., 13.
31
Ibid.
13
of directly attempting the lengthening of his spine, he practiced consciously releasing the
tension, thereby allowing his spine to lengthen naturally. This process, he called
“direction.” By applying inhibition and direction, Alexander was paying more attention
to the quality of his action than to the desired goal. Application of these two processes
made him successful in resolving his voice problems. At first this was only possible
while watching himself in the mirror, but as learned to feel the change outside and inside
his body, he could trust his body resolve his voice problems without visual observation.32
2.1 Benefits
Many years can pass before a musician starts to suffer from a pain or restriction of
movement. Playing an instrument demands fast, repetitive, and highly controlled finger
sustained for a long period of time.33 This misuse of the self creates many unnecessary
restriction of movement involve painkilling drugs. These drugs turn off the body’s
warning system, whose function is to tell us that something is wrong. Doctors cannot
offer much advice since they are treating the symptoms rather than uncovering the cause
of such problems. Alexander Technique does exactly the opposite: it shows the
underlying cause of the problem, which in turn enables a person to eliminate unnecessary
32
Ibid.
33
Dominique Royl and Nicola Culf, “The Perfect Technique,” Guitar Journal no. 6 (1996), 5-7.
14
through understanding physical and psychological principles. In other words, mind-body
technique is educational. The following are the problems and conditions that Alexander
they are related to how a person moves his/her body. In this case, Alexander
recommended for scoliosis, whiplash, disc injuries, sciatica, and upper and
lower back pain.35 The Alexander Technique teacher guides a person to reach
problems.
b) Chronic pain—the technique is not a cure for medical conditions, but it can
neck muscles, and collapsed stature) can be improved by learning how to find
a pose that can help to ease discomfort and streamline movement. Of primary
importance here is the relationship between the head and the spine. Joan
34
Joan Arnold and Hope Gillerman, http://www.alexandertechnyc.com/faq.html (accessed
November 10, 2014).
35
Ibid.
36
Ibid.
15
Arnold writes “with greater fluidity and stability, the individual gains
d) Stress in daily life—the body’s reaction to stress is marked by tight neck and
contracted body. If the body stays in this constant state of emergency, physical
tension and fear response, to calm the nervous system and to handle stressors
more easily.38
of the technique are remarkable, while the psychological effects are of even
emotions such as anger, confusion, worry, and panic are easier to control.40
experiment with his own family. Each family member learned the Alexander Technique
at the same time. They noted that the AT brought “striking improvements in diverse
things such as high blood pressure, breathing, depth of sleep, overall cheerfulness and
37
Ibid.
38
Ibid.
39
Ibid.
40
Sarah Barker, “The Alexander Technique: The Revolutionary Way to Use your Body for Total
Energy,” http://www.scribd.com/doc/239129278/Sarah-Barker-the-Alexander-Technique, 5.
16
mental alertness, resilience against outside pressure and also in such a refined skill as
Many studies showing the usefulness of the technique have been published. A
study by Kerren Fischer (1988) revealed that chronic pain sufferers found Alexander
Technique a most effective treatment modality for relieving chronic pain. One study
about posture revealed that scoliosis patients can significantly improve their appearance,
strengthen their spinal musculature and achieve maximum spinal support using the
Alexander Technique. Another one showed that postural habits can be profoundly
affected by the AT when learning and applying the concept of inhibition. Respiratory
function was studied as well, and it indicated that the AT improves respiratory muscular
function. Performance stress in musicians has also been studied, and the results showed
something that the body already knows. “Restoring the natural poise leads to greater
stability, balance and fluidity.”43 In other words, relearning to use yourself efficiently,
while unlocking your true potential, is a path for becoming an artist, or in this case, a
“conscious guitarist.”
41
Ibid., 7.
42
Carol P. Prentice, “Research on The Alexander Technique,” http://carolpprentice.com/resources
(accessed November 9, 2014).
43
Joan Arnold and Hope Gillerman, “Posture and The Alexander Technique,”
http://www.alexandertechnique.com/articles/posture/ (accessed November 10, 2014).
17
The numerous benefits the technique offers to guitarists further justify the need
for this study. The Alexander Technique helps release unnecessary tension in the neck,
shoulder, upper and lower back, tension in both hands, and it helps increase body
awareness in playing. Using the technique on a daily basis can also release guitarists from
everyday fatigue and exhaustion after practicing, and prevent repetitive strain injuries
such as tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and cubital tunnel syndrome. The Alexander
Technique addresses the cause of these widespread injuries: “lack of postural support and
excess joint compression while working.”44 With the Alexander Technique, an individual
learns to perform repetitive movements without unnecessary strain, but with ease and
comfort. This can be achieved by learning how to sit correctly and how to execute
repeated motions with less muscular tension in the shoulders, arms and wrists.
One of the most important benefits of this discipline is the development of self-
confidence, and help deal with performance anxiety, all of which result in better
This journey requires adapting to new ways of thinking and acting, as presented in the
following chapter.
44
Arnold and Gillerman, “Alexander Technique NYC,”
http://www.alexandertechnyc.com/faq.html (accessed November 10, 2014).
18
CHAPTER 3
“Going from the known to the unknown,” as Alexander called it, is a key idea to
which a guitarist gradually replaces the old habits with the new ones. By directing our
thoughts, we have a choice to change for better, as Frank Pierce Jones stated:
The process of change is not mindless; it can be directed by intelligence into paths that lead to the
best developments of the individual’s own personality.47
Between any stimulus and response, meaning between the thought of doing something and putting
the thought in the action, there is a characteristic preparation or “set” (ready-set-go), which
determines the quality and the character of the response. Sets are difficult to change, because they
are largely unconscious. They are acquired so early in the learning process that they usually
48
remain undetected.
It is indeed very hard to correct any movement that is result of misuse in guitar playing.
Because it is unconscious, it will require unlocking the higher levels of the unconscious
mind. Improvement will mainly depend on the individual’s level of consciousness toward
45
This unknown journey is based on F. M Alexander’s discoveries.
46
Gelb, 57.
47
Jones, as cited in Gelb, 33.
48
Ibid.
19
Developing a new skill in playing is a gradual process where skill passes from the
short term to long-term memory. Psychologists Paul Fitts & Michael Posner recognize
1. The Cognitive Stage is an initial phase when conscious attention is required. This
3. The Autonomous Stage is a final stage when the skill no longer requires
Because his habitual misuse was affecting his kinesthetic sense, he learned not to trust
this feeling. Even more astonishing was a discovery that a “lifelong misuse can make the
entire system go wrong,” meaning that our brain can send signals that “all is correct,”
while in reality “all is wrong.”50 His sensory awareness improved after he temporarily
suspended the judgments made on the basis of it, and allowed himself to experience
something new, something beyond the expected experience of already learned habit.51
Specifically, when a performer tries to change an old habit that is the result of misuse, for
instance raising a shoulder while playing, he/she won’t be able to rely on what feels right
49
“How Does The Acquisition of a Skill Affect Performance,”
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/pdhpe/core2/focus2/focus4/4017/fac2_4.htm (accessed November 10, 2014), 150.
50
Gelb, 55.
51
Ibid., 59.
20
in order to correct it. After learning to execute a correct movement, this sensory
1. Kinesthetic—becoming aware of the feeling and tension in the body, and the body
in space. This can be achieved through observing yourself while doing any action
2. Visual—seeing the habits more clearly, by gaining the knowledge of the body’s
movement. Watching yourself in the mirror while playing can help in discovering
many unwanted tensions in the body. Seeing your shoulder rise up while playing,
problem. By becoming a better observer, one becomes not just a better performer,
playing. This can simply mean directing your body through the correct movement
(for instance, making new pathways of correct movements that were previously
52
Judith Leibowitz, and Bill Connington, The Alexander Technique (New York: Harper Perennial
1990), 32.
21
learned wrong). These movements are controlled by the cerebellum, which is the
Practicing harder is often confused with putting more effort and force into one's
movements. Force reduces sensitivity to small changes, and therefore limits the potential
…in order to recognize small changes in effort, the effort itself must first be reduced. More
delicate and improved control of movement is possible only through the increase of sensitivity,
53
through a greater ability to sense differences.
Furthermore, applying force while practicing unconsciously creates even more tension in
the body, which again can result in poor use of the body.
Once the orders or thoughts in AT are directed towards releasing the tension in
the neck, the change happens by itself. The concept of “letting it happen” as opposed to
Kind explains the order of allowance in the AT, “To ‘direct’ in the Alexander Technique
means to give an order of allowance to the head, neck and spine to release and lengthen
prior to movement.”54 In other words, you can “Allow the neck to be free to let the head
go forward and up so that the back may lengthen and widen.”55 Any attempts to make this
53
Feldenkrais, as cited in Berg, 20.
54
Kind, 32.
22
change happen will not bring an experience of “body lengthening.” In other words,
putting the head forward will bring the opposite effect: the body will lock itself and
therefore lock the performer’s natural potential for playing. The actual experience can
simply be gained by just thinking about releasing the tension in the neck, and letting the
Drawn from the maxim, “improvement means change,” from the Feldenkrais
method, Christopher Berg concludes that change happens when we increase our
inhibit old habits and direct the thoughts towards correcting those movements. According
2. The performer needs to observe his/her habitual response to the particular stimuli
(the poor habitual response is raising the shoulder while playing), which causes
3. The performer needs to inhibit his initial habitual response and allow the body to
55
Gelb, 69.
56
Berg, 20.
57
For order of allowance, refer to footnote 54.
23
neck is tight at the moment of playing, he/she needs to stop playing, inhibit the
Alexander always emphasized the process of attaining his goal, and not the goal
itself. When he was practicing direction and inhibition, he paid more attention to the
Alexander discovered that most of us let our immediate goals dominate the field
of our attention.59 He called this “end gaining.” Gelb states that if “we adapt this end-
gaining approach to changing our habits, the muscles that habitually perform an act will
In the guitar world, much emphasis is placed upon achieving a perfect technique
and getting perfect results. Some of the best examples that illustrate the preoccupation
with perfectionism are today’s competitions. Preoccupation with the desired result, which
without errors. This imposes demands on both the body and the mental state of a
musician and the larger picture of developing musical vision can be forgotten. The body
is also neglected and the mind is doomed to a passive state of mindless repetition.
Examples of the end gaining are numerous, but let us consider negative self-talk,
as one of the main predictors for developing performance anxiety. A performer sees his
58
Kind, 32.
59
Gelb, 81.
60
Ibid.
24
limited because the performer’s attention is directed towards an end, which is the concert
itself, instead of the means. The quality of mental and physical preparation for a
will increase. In other words, the quality of the means will determine the quality of the
end. Pedro Alcantara, one of the most famous Alexander Technique teachers, explains
things happen.” It may be easily perceived that some of his discoveries, such as
wisdom of Zen. In other words, worrying about the results (end-gaining), or forcing
yourself to fix them (instead of accepting and letting go), will prevent a performer from
Distracting thoughts happen both in practice and performance. Many guitarists are
not aware of how self-criticism can prevent them from experiencing playing in the
moment. In The Inner Game of Tennis, Timothy Galwey explains how some tennis
players are “distracted from the playing because they are praising or criticizing
61
Pedro Alcantara, Indirect Procedures, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 260.
62
Alexander, as cited in Gelb, 45.
25
themselves under their breath according to how well or badly they think they are
playing.”63
Negative self-talk also increases tension in the body and re-enforces the potential
for mistakes. How many times before a difficult passage do we hear an inner voice
saying, ”Oh no, here it comes!” after which our body automatically tenses? As a
consequence, our movement, sound, and expression become restricted, creating a vicious
cycle.
Lee. F Ryan (1997) explains what happens to the mind when criticizing takes
place. The conscious mind, represented by the cerebral cortex, is the part that thinks and
gives commands to the subconscious and the body. The subconscious mind, represented
by the mid and lower brain, attempts to carry out these commands. Ryan implies that the
subconscious mind is so powerful that it will do whatever the conscious mind asks of it
and concludes that success or failure in playing depends on what the conscious mind puts
into your subconscious.64 As a negative example, telling yourself that you will make
mistakes when you perform will certainly encourage mistakes to happen. As a positive
example, practicing a piece with the correct movements will encourage performing the
piece correctly.
63
Galwey, as cited in Lee. F. Ryan, The Natural Classical Guitar (Bold Strummer Ltd., 1991) 17.
64
Ryan, 177.
26
sense involves a balanced awareness of oneself and one’s surroundings with an easy
emphasis on whatever is particularly relevant at the moment.65
Alexander realized that most people don’t know how to direct their attention, and
back to the present, and to a deeper connection to the piece. For example, instead of
learn to release tension in the neck, which will unlock the whole body movement and free
the hands to do what they have already been trained for. This conscious approach can
also decrease the mind wandering and the potential for making mistakes.
towards the relevant and small details in the piece. This mind-body approach has proven
essential for the artistic freedom, it is a necessary step in becoming a conscious guitarist.
randomly chosen people practiced free throws for twenty-one days. The first group spent
twenty minutes a day practicing free throws, the second group did not practice at all, and
the third group practiced twenty minutes a day visualizing themselves scoring free
throws. The results showed that the first group improved by 24%, the second group did
65
Gelb, 75.
66
Gelb, 77.
27
This study shows that visualizing a specific task is as effective as practicing the
same task. The only difference is that the person can save energy by not having to do the
physical work. When visualizing and saving energy, the conscious guitarist can direct
attention to the smaller details in the piece. The small details are often neglected when
information is a more efficient way of preparing mental material for long-term storage
Before playing, a conscious guitarist (CG) should first let Alexander’s order of
allowance happen.68 Once the head moves forward and the “spine lengthens,” a CG will
rediscover the body’s natural balance and freedom of movement. This will increase the
CG’s concentration and allow him/her to stay in the moment. Staying in the moment
while performing is one of the most important factors in playing. The order of allowance
in Alexander Technique increases the focus and stops the mind from wandering while
playing. Effortless and elegant movement will unlock the CG’s natural musicality. By
staying in the moment and connecting to the piece, a CG will finally experience a natural
flow and reach the highest potential for the optimal performance.
67
Berg, Memorization and Visualization,
http://www.orpheusonfire.com/uscguitar/applied/downloads1/files/Memorization.pdf (accessed November
2014).
68
For order of allowance, refer to footnote 54.
28
CHAPTER 4
brain that dictates how we move.69 The term was coined by cellist William Conable who
“observed that students in his studio were moving according to how they think they are
structured and not how they are actually structured.”70 At the time, he wasn’t aware the
term was also used in neuroscience as a body scheme, body image, or internal
representation.71
governed by the accuracy of our own body maps. Simply put, if our body map is
adequate, our movements will appear and feel free, elegant, and easy. If the body map is
inadequate, however, the movement will be restricted and hazardous to our playing.
The term “body map” is not a metaphor. Rather, the term is used literally.72
69
Johnson, 13.
70
Conable, “Info section.”
71
Johnson, 13.
72
Johnson, 14
29
University, describes the science behind the body map:
In the cerebral cortex, it has been known for a long time that cells in the primary motor and
sensory areas are associated with different parts of the body, and that these cells are spatially
arranged in such a way as to represent the anatomical correspondence of these parts.73
Nichols also explains the importance of having an accurate body map in the life of a
musician:
The maps in the executive areas of the cortex that represent the anatomy of the body are clearly
dependent upon the motor and sensory experiences of the individual. In the case of a highly
trained artist such as a musician, it is expected that the cortical areas become reorganized in a way
that reflects the motor planning practices of that individual. Cortical maps are sufficiently flexible
that they can represent a wide range of motor behaviors.74
If movement is based on an inaccurate knowledge or perception about the anatomy of the body,
then pathologic changes can result. These practices can lead to alterations in cortical
representation or body maps, which can then become reinforcing of the faulty motor practice.
Overtraining of one specific motor pattern can also lead to pathologic changes, such as focal
dystonias, in the central nervous system. These findings, he concludes underscore the importance
of educating musicians in anatomy and physiology of the motor system so that practices that can
lead to pathology in the musculoskeletal system can be avoided.76
On the brighter side, the brain’s neuroplasticity or the ability to form new neural
73
Richard Nichols, as cited in Johnson, 15.
74
Ibid.
75
Ibid.
76
Ibid.
30
4.1 Process of Accessing and Changing the Body Map
Re-training movement starts with the process of accessing and changing our body
maps. For that purpose, let us examine the three aspects that comprise our body map:
By asking these questions about structure, function and size, a conscious guitarist
will examine what he/she believes to be true about their own body and compare it with
the accurate information presented in this document. Guitarists will thereby learn to
recognize the source of inefficient and harmful movements and gradually replace them
with efficient, healthy movements based on the truth about one’s structure, function, and
the size.
Because the spine plays such an important role in regaining our natural balance or poise
in playing, let us begin with its exploration. On the sheet of paper, write these three
questions:
77
Johnson, 17-22.
31
Spend a couple of minutes answering these questions as thoroughly as you can. You
might even try drawing a spine while asking yourself these same questions. Notice
whether your awareness of the spine is vague or perhaps more detailed than you thought.
Once you exhaust your knowledge of the spine, compare your answers to the illustrations
Figure 4.1. The vertebral column, from The Body Moveable by David Gorman, used with permission,
www.bodymoveable.com
1. The spine is segmented into twenty-four separate vertebrae that each have a joint
between them. If you have mapped your vertebral column as a one long piece of
bone, your movement throughout the torso might be restricted. It is the segmented
nature of the spine that helps us twist or spiral around when we play.
32
2. The spine has four natural curves (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral). Did you
map your spine straight as a broomstick? If so, you might be one of the many
guitarists who have been told to sit straight while playing; and you may have
3. The spine is comprised of a front and a back half. Take a look at the lateral (side)
spine view, as seen in the figure 4.1. Notice that the vertebrae in the front half of
the spine is smooth and rounded so it can protect the internal organs from nestling
against the bony surfaces. The back part of the spine allows space for the spinal
chord. In your description, have you made a distinction between a front and a
4. Think about where your spine meets the other structures. Did you mention that the
spine forms a joint with the skull at one end and meets with the pelvic bones at
the other, or did you think of it as a free-floating unit dis-attached from the rest of
need to be clear about the location of the head-spine joint as well as the place
where the spine joints the two pelvic bones on each side.
1. An essential function of the spine is to bear the weight of the head and upper
torso. Which half of the spine do you think is responsible for bearing the weight:
the front part with its soft cushiony discs, or the back bony half where the spinal
chord is housed?
2. Equally important is the weight-delivery function of the front half of the spine.
Guitarists who mapped their back halves as responsible for the weight delivery
33
function will be putting pressure on the big nerves housed in that part. The
essential function of the back part is therefore to protect the spinal chord and the
3. Because of its segmented nature, the spine can twist, spiral, turn, and bend,
4. One of the most important functions of the spine is its ability to lengthen and
gather (figure 4.3). The vertebrae naturally move apart on exhalation and gather
attention to your breathing: while exhaling, think of releasing your neck muscles
and notice if your spine is lengthening. The mis-map usually occurs if a guitarist
thinks the lengthening happens with the inhalation. The lengthening of the spine
is crucial in our playing: our free arm movement and entire torso depend on it.
34
Figure 4.3. Gathering and lengthening of the spine
The spine is big. Because we can see and touch only the small structure of the spine that
runs up our back, we tend to map it as much smaller than it actually is. In reality, the
lumbar/lower part of the spine is so big, that if you’d try to wrap your fingers around it, it
would be impossible.
After learning about your faulty maps, it is necessary to take action and put these
changes into everyday activities. Practicing new ways of movement requires self-
observation and exploration that happens on an everyday basis. For example, you can
explore different spinal movements every-day while seating, standing, walking, etc. The
more movement awareness you bring to these activities, the more you will change,
35
4.2 Training the Senses
Most of us were taught from an early age that we have five senses through which
our body perceives an external stimulus: auditory (hearing), visually (sight,) gustatory
(taste), olfactory (smell), and tactile (touch) senses. As musicians, we are mostly trained
to use the auditory, visual and tactile sense, but there is a sixth sense, and even though it
is incredibly important in what we do, it has not been named in our culture.
This is not the sense frequently linked to the paranormal; this is our sense of
perception). Because our culture does not inform us about this sense, most of us use it in
very limited ways. To experience how your sense of kinesthesia informs you about the
movement: close your eyes, and then try touching your nose. Without this sense, you
would not be able to find your nose. Now close your eyes and try playing a difficult left-
hand passage. Did you succeed in doing so? This task is more complex than touching a
nose, as it involves awareness of highly refined movements in playing. But the good
news is that you can learn to use this sense more consciously in your practicing, and free
body map. The change happens in part through kinesthesia, a necessary component in
78
Conable, Training Manuals.
36
example to demonstrate difference between attention and concentration. A beginning
sight-reader will suffer playing through a line of music as he/she is concentrating on one
note at a time. Training your attention to see more notes ahead of time is what eventually
Similarly, when playing in a guitar quartet, you don’t want your attention focused
on one thing (ex. playing the correct notes), as you might miss what is going on in the
other parts. Instead, we want to cultivate inclusive awareness. We want to train our
everything around us so our attention can fluidly shift to wherever we need it the most.
1. Choose a passage of music you find challenging. This can be anything from rapid
3. Notice what happens in your body as you approach the difficult passage:
4. Next, prepare to play the passage again, but this time as your eyes approach the
left hand/right hand fingers in playing, begin to use your peripheral vision and
5. Keep those objects in your awareness until you have competed the passage.
37
b) Was your face wider (as opposed to marked with a frown)?
7. Repeat the exercise, but notice several new items by moving your eyes around the
8. As you keep repeating the exercise, always try to challenge yourself to add one
extra piece of information that your tactile and auditory senses are sending you.79
The following list provides a quick summary/laws of the spine that should serve
as an every-day agenda:
1. The head must lead spinal movement (as in all creatures); this is why the neck
3. The spine must be free to lengthen and gather in spinal movement, not just bend
and twist.
4. Spinal movement should be distributed across the whole spine, not concentrated
in part of it.80
79
Johnson, 28.
80
Conable, 19.
38
CHAPTER 5
GUITAR PLAYING
remain upright and steady.”81 Finding a whole body balance begins by experiencing and
figure 5.1, a vertical line can be drawn through the front half of the spine (as the weight-
delivering part) and all of major joints in the body. This line represents the core of our
body and it consists of the six points referred to as places of balance. These are: the
atlanto-occipital (A.O.) joint, arm balance, lumbar core, hip joint, knee joint, and ankle
joint.
In order to sit and approach an instrument properly, guitarists must learn how to
balance around the core. But before we start exploring the six key points necessary for
the whole body balance, guitarist must be aware of the cultural myths that shaped our
perception and meaning of the body balance. This awareness starts with a word
“posture.”
The word posture comes from the Latin roots positura (“position”), and ponere
(“to place” or “to put”). However, “to place” or “to put” implies holding or locking our
81
Oxford Dictionaries, http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/balance
(accessed November 10, 2014).
39
body in a certain place. This is why the words posture, position and pose (coming from
the same root) impose rigidity, which in turn limits the body’s natural ability to move
freely.
To obtain balance, our body has to move. As Alexander discovered, whole body
balance depends on the dynamic relationship between our head, neck, and the rest of our
40
body. This relationship is never rigid, as each body part moves in relationship with one
another and the rest of the body to achieve the body’s optimal freedom in movement.
Even more hazardous are the “good posture” disease and “relaxation” disease.82
At an early age children are often told to “sit straight and put your chin up,” because that
is what the good posture means in our culture. Every guitarist should experience what the
a) Sit as straight as possible and pull your chin up. Do you feel pressure on the back
part of the spine? As you know from earlier, straightening of the spine puts
b) Next, try to completely relax your body. Most likely, you will end up slouching,
The balance is, of course, found in the middle of these two extremes.
Guitarists should also be aware of the negative effects of teaching advice affected
…While seated, try stretching your neck and spine upwards towards the ceiling, pulling your
shoulders back slightly (just enough to keep them from dropping forward). Now, relax your
muscles so that your body sort of freezes in that position.83
Clearly, the first sentence can trigger the good posture disease, while the second
sentence is an example how the word “relaxation” can be vague and misleading to a
student: freezing your body in order to relax can only initiate a rigid body position and
create more tension—which is far from relaxation. Students with excessive tension habits
82
These terms are used by Body Mapping teachers. The word disease is used literally.
83
Scott Tennant, Pumping Nylon: The Classical Guitarist’s Technique Handbook, (Alfred
Publishing Co., Inc., 1995), 7.
41
do not know how to relax; and in the worse case, the advice in the last sentence can
A joint is a place where two bones meet in order to provide a movement. The first
and most important joint is the atlanto-occipital joint (A.O.). This is the place where the
atlas or the top vertebrae meets with the occiput or the base of the skull (figure 5.2).
Because this joint is what allows us to freely nod, we can refer to it to as the “nodding
joint.” Try locating this joint yourself after nodding couple of times. Where does the top
The most common mis-map of this joint is mapping the joint too far back of the
central core. Students with this mis-map usually refer to the back part of their neck
(which is a back part of the spine) as the A.O. joint. Another mis-map related to the
previous one is mapping the A.O. joint too low. In this case, students focus on the front
part of the neck as seen in the mirror and usually point to the place where the jaw meets
the neck. If you have mis-mapped this joint in either or both ways, as most people do,
observe figure 5.1 again. Notice the A.O. placement along the middle line (front part of
the spine), and not the back part of the spine. The second mis-map can be clarified after
noticing that the neck length goes behind the jaw, which is much higher than we usually
think. Also, be aware that the jaw (with the lower teeth in it) is only an appendage to the
skull, just like the arms are an appendage to the torso. If you mapped this wrong, you
might be surprised to find out that the bottom of the skull is as high as the upper row of
the teeth.
42
Figure 5.2. The A.O. joint
To find how far back the A.O. joint is, point the tip of your tongue to the back
roof of your mouth. You should be touching your soft palate, which is directly in front of
the A.O. joint. To find how high the joint it, point both index fingers into the wholes of
43
As Alexander discovered, maintaining our head balanced on the top of our spine,
is essential for healthy functioning of all living organisms. The freedom at this joint,
which affects our whole body balance, depends on the freedom of our neck muscles. As
Alexander pointed out: “Let the neck be free, in order for the head to go forward and
up.”84
To experience the difference between a free and a tight neck, tighten your neck
muscles by pulling the head back and down. Observe what it does to the rest of your
body. Then slowly release the tension, allowing the head to move forward and up. Next,
observe the tight neck muscles in figure 5.4. Notice how the line shifts away from the
body’s core to the back part of the spine/neck where all the nerves are. Free neck
muscles, on the contrary, allow your head to move forward and up.
84
Johnson, 48.
44
Place of Balance 2: The Whole Arm
A whole arm consists of a collarbone, shoulder blade, one upper arm bone and
two lower arm bones, a wrist and a hand. Because most people don’t realize that the
collarbone and shoulder blade are part of their whole arm structure, they can easily
develop pain and restrictions in the upper torso. The whole arm structure and movement
Swimming exercise:
1. Palpate (examine by touch) your collarbones, and then place your left hand on the
3. Examine all the directions your collarbone can move such as up, down, forward,
4. As you continue with the swimming motion, notice that your shoulder blades (on
5. Next, try the front crawl motion while allowing no movement in the collarbones
or the shoulder blades. Your arm motion will be very restricted. The same
happens in playing: if you don’t allow a free range of motion in either the
collarbone or your shoulder blades, your technical and musical abilities will be
diminished.
Because the whole arm movement is crucial in developing a healthy technique, the
following chapter will entirely focus on mapping the arms and the hands.
45
Place of Balance 3: Lumbar core
When studying the spine in Chapter Four, we examined how the vertebrae’s size
increase towards the lumbar part of the spine (figure 5.5). These five vertebrae of lumbar
part of the spine are the most massive because they are responsible for bearing most of
the weight. Notice how they curve forward towards the center (core), so the head and
torso can balance over them. Guitarists who chronically throw their weight into the back
part of the spine can learn to shift this weight forward onto the front part of the lumbar
spine.
One of the most common mis-mappings that can cause losing the balance off the
lumbar core is the notion of a waist. The waist is not an anatomical unit; it’s a cultural
myth we adopted as children when we were told to put our hands on our waist. This is
46
why we need to become aware that we don’t have waists like clothes do, meaning that
The body’s mid-point (from the top to the bottom) is not the waist: it’s the place
where we make contact with the chair, when we are sitting. This midpoint is at our hip
joint (figure 5.1). This is crucial for every guitarist because moving from the hip joints
(and not the waist) is essential in approaching and supporting the instrument freely.
Another mis-map guitarists commonly face is the notion that we sit on our legs.
Instead, we sit on our rockers (seating bones). The rockers are designed in such a way
that we can rock back and forth or side to side with our instrument for maximum stability
(figure 5.6).
47
To explore the location of the hip joint, take a look at the figure 5.7. Most
musicians mis-map the top of their iliac crest (the bony parts on our sides that we can
easily palpate) as the top of their leg. Instead the place where your thigh bones meets
your pelvis is much lower and not as much on the side of your torso.
Exercise:
1. Palpate your iliac crest, then move your fingers lower and further in to find
2. Next, keep your fingers on the hip joint while trying to sit. You will
experience that the only way to sit is to move from the hip joint!
3. As you keep practicing going into sitting, observe where the weight of your
torso is delivered. You will notice that it is delivered downward through your
4. The hip joint is also our bowing joint, so make sure to practice some bowing
ILLIAC
CREST
HIP JOINT
ROCKER
48
Place of Balance 5: Knee Joint
The knee is the place where the thigh meets the lower leg. The knee can be in a
locked, balanced and bent condition (figure 5.8). Musicians who chronically lock their
knees when standing are the ones who throw the weight of their torso on the back part of
the spine, whether standing or sitting. To return your knees into balance, practice
Guitarists should also be aware that the most common mis-map of the knee is
confusing the actual joint with the kneecap. Notice how the kneecap is in front and
above the joint, then enjoy bending the knee from an actual joint.
The ankle joint is the place where the lower leg meets the foot. Like the previous
leg joints (hip joint and knee joint), the ankle joint can also become locked when
compensating for the loss of balance. When standing in balance, weight is delivered
through the front leg bone into the arch (figure 5.9). The arch then acts as a tripod in
weight delivery by pivoting at its center. In other words, it transfers the weight from its
center backward into the heel and forward into the ball of the foot (not including the
49
toes). To achieve better balance, every guitarist should explore this arch, as a key of
50
CHAPTER 6
Mapping the arms and hands correctly is essential for achieving effortless
technique. While some guitarists isolate their fingers as a main cause of certain technical
deficiencies, the actual causes may be rooted or mis-mapped somewhere else in the body.
Healthy hands depend on our whole arm movement, while the whole arm movement
depends on the freedom at our A.O. joint, which governs the rest of our body. In other
words, if we sit off balance while playing, our arms and fingers will immediately feel
As discussed in the previous chapter, the whole arm consists of the collarbone,
shoulder blade, upper arm, lower arm, wrist and the hand (figure 6.1). This would be a
good time to go over the swimming exercise and explore the movements from the
collarbones and shoulder blades. Because the word “shoulder” is clearly distinguished
from the word “arm” in English, the notion of what constitutes a shoulder may be
different for each person. The “shoulder” itself is not an anatomical unit; it is best used as
51
COLLARBONE
SHOULDER BLADE
UPPER
ARM
LOWER
ARM
WRIST
HAND
your whole arm, you may be surprised to discover that the arm has four and not three
joints. The first arm joint (where sternum and collarbone /clavicula meet) is the only joint
the arm forms with the torso (figure 6.2). Its function is to take the rest of the arm with it.
This means that the whole arm motion in playing is dependent on the free range of
52
ARM JOINT 1
COLLARBONE
STER
NUM
Figure 6.2. The S.C. joint
To experience the full range of collarbone movement at this joint, palpate (examine by
touch) your collarbone first. Start with the bump where it meets the sternum and continue
all the way until you run into a joint with a shoulder blade. Then, with the fingers on the
collarbone, explore the full range of motion, as in figure 6.3: move up and down, back
53
2. Humero-Scapular Joint
COLLARBONE
Arm joint 2
SHOULDER
BLADE
UPPER
ARM
LOWER
ARM
WRIST
HAND
The second arm joint, commonly referred to as the shoulder joint, is formed in
between the upper arm bone/humerus and the scapula/shoulder blade (figure 6.4).
Contrary to the belief that this joint is separated from the shoulder blade, the socket for
the upper arm is located in the side of the shoulder blade (figure 6.5). Observe figure 6.5
and notice the size of the socket: unlike the common belief, it is small and very shallow.
The function of this joint is the three basic movements: up and down, back and forth and
rotation.
54
Figure 6.5. Scapula and the humerus socket
The shoulder blades are attached to the skeleton only by a muscle. To clarify
further, shoulder blades are not attached to the ribs, or spine, or each other, so they can
freely move up and down, back and forth and rotate. Take a moment to experience their
full range motion (figure 6.6). As you do, don’t forget that in the front you move from
Figure 6.6. Scapula movement: swing up and swing in; down and up; forward and back
Guitarists frequently suffer from restricted arm movement due to the lack of
motion awareness in the shoulder blades. A teacher’s advice such as “bring/pull your
shoulders down” when playing, can initiate a habit of holding this unit back and down.
55
As a consequence, the movement from the first arm joint will suffer too. To experience
these limits, pull your shoulders intentionally back and down and notice the restrictions
when playing your instrument. You can practice bringing movement awareness to your
shoulder blades by focusing on some of the following situations in playing (these are just
a) Bring your right hand in front of the instrument (as you are about to play) by
b) In string crossing, allow the slight and gradual shoulder blade movements:
forward to cross from strings ⑥–①, and backwards when crossing from strings
①–⑥.
c) Change from tasto to ponticello (back and forth) while being aware of the
shoulder blade.
d) Pick a large shift in the left hand, and let your humerus lead while shoulder blade
follows.
Again, as you keep bringing awareness to your shoulder blades, don’t forget that in the
front you move from your S.C. joint. Shoulder joint movement is organized in a way that
3. Elbow Joint
The elbow is often mis-mapped as one discrete entity, rather than a joint where
three bones (humerus, ulna, and radius) come together (figure 6.7). The ulna is the bone
on the pinky side of the forearm, while the radius is on the thumb side of the forearm.
56
COLLARBONE
SHOULDER
BLADE
UPPER
ARM
Arm Joint 3
LOWER
ARM
WRIST
HAND
Elbow rotation is one of the most frequent mis-maps, causing excessive pain and
discomfort in guitar playing. Guitarists often think this rotation happens at the wrist,
which in turn causes strain in their left hand technique. This mis-map becomes even more
evident in the first-position left hand, when a guitarist rotates and deviates (on the sides)
from the wrist in order to bring pinky finger closer to the fretboard.
To decrease the risk of injury caused by unhealthy rotation, every guitarist needs
to devote special attention to studying healthy rotation of the elbow. Observe the rotation
in figure 6.8: when the palm is up, the radius and the ulna are parallel to each other
(supination). When the palm is down, the radius crosses the ulna (pronation).
57
Elbow rotation
Elbow bent
Supination Pronation
(Palm up) (Palm down)
1. Put your forearm (from the elbow down) on the desk in front of you with the palm
up.
2. Palpate/locate the radius and the ulna while in supination (reminder: the ulna is on
the pinky side, the radius on the thumb side of the forearm).
3. Bring your forearm into pronation and notice how the ulna serves as an axis while
the radius crosses over it. Unless you are rotating from the wrist or forcing your
ulna to cross over instead of the radius, the movement should feel and appear
4. Next, explore pronation and supination in guitar playing. These movements will
be much slighter in guitar playing. Pronation in our case means slightly rotating
towards the index side of the arm while supination means slightly rotating
towards the pinky side of the forearm. Notice how the third and the fourth fingers
58
are far away from the fingerboard when you pronate. Then, explore slight
supination to bring them closer. If you have always felt uncomfortable reaching
with these fingers, the chances are you haven’t used this subtle rotation to its
advantage in your technique. Another reason for strain could be the wrist
Every guitarist should also know that the healthy forearm rotation is supported
from the shoulder joint. The movement that is initiated from this joint allows our elbow
to shift in (towards the body) and out (away from the body) in order to securely support
our forearm rotation. Guitarists who lock their left elbow in one place or reverse the
direction of elbow movement (i.e., move in for pronation and move out for supination)
are the ones who most frequently suffer from unhealthy forearm rotation and
Pronation and supination also need to be utilized in our right hand technique. By
tilting the hand in (towards our body) and out (away from the body), guitarists can adjust
the angle of their fingers in relationship to the strings. The most advantageous angle is
4. Wrist Joint
Guitarists, among other musicians, often believe that a “wrist is like a hinge”
indicating that their wrist movement is restricted to one as opposed to the three-joints (as
in figure 6.9). The eight carpal bones are designed to freely move in relationship to each
other, making the wrist incredibly mobile in movement. The first joint is in between the
59
lower arm and the wrist bones; the second is among the wrist bones, and the third is
between the hand bones and the wrist bones (figure 6.9).
To map the wrist correctly, you need to locate both of its ends (where the first and
third joint are). Often, guitarists are surprised to find out that the wrist is not just the
1. Flex your wrist as much as possible. In this position, you will be able to see or
feel (palpate with other hand fingers) the bumps of the wrist bones on the back of
the hand. By finding the end of these bumps, you have found one end of the wrist.
2. Then walk your fingers until you find the large bony bump on the pinky side of
forearm. This bump is part of your ulna, and the wrist ends right before it.
3. Mark these ends with stickers, then put your index finger in the mid-wrist joint (in
between the ends). With the finger on mid-joint, bend your hand extremely as you
60
can as seen in figure 6.10; and experience the movement shared across all three
joints.85
Many inexperienced guitar students suffer from the belief that the wrist should be
flat. This can easily be observed in the right hand technique of poorly trained guitarists.
Contrary to this belief, the eight carpal bones are curved in such a way to form a slight
playing, this slight arch of the wrist needs to be preserved at all times. The preservation
of arch is also essential for protecting many nerves, tendons and blood vessels that run
through the carpal tunnel. The chronically jammed wrist bones, as a consequence of a flat
wrist, can sometimes lead to the development of a carpal tunnel syndrome. It can also
lead to the formation of ganglion cysts as the body’s way of protecting against injury. On
the other hand, extreme flexion (over-arching) of the wrist has the same effect: the wrist
85
Conable, 106.
61
bones overcrowd the tendons and nerves in the carpal tunnel, and therefore increase the
risk of injury.
Guitarists should also be aware of the harmful wrist deviations (right or left) that
can increase the risk of injury. In ulnar deviation, the wrist/hand deviates towards the
ulna (on the pinky side; see figure 6.15). This is one of the most frequently seen
malfunctions in guitar playing, and similar to a flat wrist, it is often manifested in the
right hand technique by many poorly trained guitarists. The reasons for this this may stem
from the technique of Segovia (who was self-taught) and his followers, which has often
been imitated by other players. Another reason for ulnar deviation can be caused by
improper instrument placement. In this case, a guitar support can be adjusted so it lowers
the side where the right arm contacts the instrument, which in turn encourages the healthy
Guitarists who suffer from tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome, need to study
and map in detail their elbows and wrists to find the possible causes of the injury.
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6.2 Mapping the Finger Joints and the Bones of the Hand
Figure 6.10 provides numbering system for finger joints (FJ 1-4), thumb joints (TJ
1-3), finger bones, (FB) thumb bones (TB), as well as the Latin names for the bones.
Observe the figure and notice how each finger extends all the way down until it meets the
wrist bones. This is the first finger joint (FJ1). To make the best use of the fingers in
playing, guitarists need to learn where the location of this joint is:
1. Flex your left hand to its extreme (by over-arching your wrist), then use the right
hand fingers to palpate the metacarpal bones on the back of your hand.
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2. Walk your fingers along each metacarpal individually, starting from the FJ2
(knuckle joint) all the way until you run into bony bumps, which is where the
3. Be clear about the location of this joint for each one of your fingers.
To map the FJ2 (knuckle joint) locate it on the back of the hand first. Then point
to the joints on the palm-up side of the hand. Have you pointed towards the cease of the
skin? If so, you are among many others who have mis-mapped the location of this joint.
In this case, re-locate the joint on the back part of the hand. This time draw a line with
your index finger across these joints and continue the line while turning the hand face up.
Keep your index finger at this newly mapped location, and try bending (flexing) all of
your fingers at once. This movement should feel entirely different than bending from the
64
Consequences of these mis-maps affect guitar technique in both hands. When the
FJ2 (knuckle joint) collapses, as seen when knuckles form a straight line on the back of
the hand, both FJ1 and FJ2 have decreased function in playing. As a result, the mid-joint
and tip-joint (FJ3 and FJ4) overcompensate by curling the fingers in more drastically.
The wrist accompanies this malfunction by either sticking in or out, or deviating on the
sides, making all of the muscles and tendons work harder than necessary. In some cases,
the collapse of the left hand knuckle joint is seen at the index finger only, but in the most
cases it happens for all fingers across. Similarly to this, the collapse of the knuckle joints
in the right hand immediately affects the sound quality. In this case, the fingers often
counteract by pulling the strings up instead of pushing in towards the soundboard for the
These mis-maps (at FJ1 and FJ2) are often based on the false notion that the palm
is a flat, solid plate. In this regard, it is necessary to understand that there is an additional
forward movement coming from the FJ1. This movement (best observed in the
metacarpal bones coming forward), allows your left hand 3rd and 4th finger to reach the
neck/frets easier, and that way compensate for their shorter size.
6. 3 The Thumb
Mis-mapping of thumb joints, can often lead to the right hand instability in
playing. Similarly to previous FJ mis-mappings, most guitarists are unaware that the
thumb has three and not two joints. Thinking of a thumb as a two-jointed unit can only
restricts the right hand thumb from freely reaching the bass strings. If you suffer from this
restriction, observe the figures 6.11 and 6.13, then make sure to locate and explore
moving from this missing TJ1. When practicing, focus on open-string thumb exercises by
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pulling from all three joints (i.e., using your whole thumb). It will bring more stability to
your playing, and your hand won’t need to move around drastically to compensate for the
Another important function of the thumb is its ability to oppose the other fingers,
In ulnar deviation, the thumb moves on the side with the rest of the fingers and loses its
66
Figure 6.15. Hand strained: ulnar deviation
On the other hand, the rest relationship of the hand and the forearm happens when
the pinky is aligned with the ulna, and not the thumb (figure 6.16). When the hand resides
approach the guitar neck so the fingers can depress the strings. If you explore dropping
your hand down, as in walking, you’ll notice how this rest-relationship happens naturally.
Preserving this alignment as much as possible in both hands is essential for injury-free
technique. While some guitar playing (mainly in the left hand) requires getting the hand
out of this neutral/rest relationship, the hand should always return to this neutral state.
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Figure 6.16. Rest-relationship: pinky aligned with the ulna
6. 4 The Pinky
The importance of aligning the arm with the pinky side of the hand raises an
important question: is the arm organized around the pinky or the thumb? To help answer
1. Walk your left hand fingers along the thumb side of the right arm. While doing
so, slowly extend your arm towards the ceiling. Start at the thumb, and then move
up the radius, the biceps, along the collarbone, until you reach the sterno-
clavicular joint (the S.C. joint). This is the thumb-orientation and the movement
2. Now try the opposite. As you are slowly extending your arm towards the ceiling,
run your fingers on the pinky side of the arm; start with the pinky, move along the
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wrist, down the ulna and humerus, through the back rim of the underarm, and end
on the tip of the shoulder blade. This time, the movement should feel light and
To experience the optimal freedom and strength for the arms, guitarists need to
develop kinesthetic awareness on the pinky side of the arm. Contrary to the myth that the
pinky is the weakest finger, our pinky is made strong and pivotal by its relationship to the
ulna. Since the ulna is thicker and stronger than the radius, it can be inferred that our
mother’s fingers, hanging by one arm (figure 6.17), or just watching a karate master
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6. 5 Muscles of the Forearm/Hand
So far we have studied the joints and the bones of the hand, but it should be noted
that muscles and tendons are the ones that control and coordinate the finger movements.
While there are some muscles in the hand, most muscles that flex and extend the fingers
are located in the forearm. The flexors are located on the underside of arm, and when
contracted, they bend the fingers. The extensors are located on the top of the arm, and
when contracted, their function is to straighten the fingers. Because they move fingers in
opposite direction, their function is to oppose each other. Movement remains free as long
as one of these muscle groups is releasing the tension while the other is contracting.
However, if both flexors and extensors are contracting simultaneously, there will be
strain in the hand, and the fingers won’t be able to quickly respond to technical demands.
Guitar teachers should be aware that the advice often given to their students to
play “directly on their fingertips,” can result in left-hand co-contraction. In this case,
students curl more from the tip and mid joint (contraction), while simultaneously
confused with the natural curvature of the fingers. To explore the difference, hang your
left hand on the side, as in walking. Observe that when the hand is in its rest-relationship,
the fingers are naturally curved. After observation, bring your hand back to the neck and
note the difference in the curvatures when the hand is in its rest-state as opposed to when
you depress the strings. Preserving the natural curvature of fingers encourages more
effortless technique. On the other hand, if you discovered that you suffer from co-
contraction, you might want to note that co-contraction occurs as a consequence of a mis-
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mapped knuckle joint and omission of a first joint (FJ1) in the map, as studied earlier in
this chapter.
The interosseous (“between the bones”) muscles of the hand help bend the fingers
from the knuckle joint (FJ2). Another important function of these muscles is to spread the
fingers from side to side. Guitarists should know that the stretching span of the fingers
increases only when the fingers are extended. Those who try to stretch their left hand
fingers apart while actively bending (over-curving) the tip and the mid joint are
increasing the risk of pain and injury. This is especially evident in the index finger, which
most often (out of four fingers) needs to straighten/extend back in order to reach (e.g.,
reaching the 6th string while fixing the other fingers on the trebles). Explore actively
bending (over-curving) the tip and mid joint in all fingers, and note how your fingers lose
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CHAPTER 7
As one constantly examines their relationship with the instrument and reconsiders the
most fundamental aspects of their playing, such as sitting and holding the instrument, one
can become more sensitive towards unwanted habits. Visual aids such as videotaping or
simply observing yourself in a mirror can help in this process. As one’s level of
consciousness increases, one will also be able to control his/her habits by using the mind-
Unwanted habits keep our body out of balance. Therefore, much focus needs to
be directed to the realignment of the spine, or going back to the places of balance.
The most common problems guitarists face are choosing an appropriate chair and
deciding between a footstool and the numerous guitar supports available. Even though
the appropriate chair and guitar support are important factors in approaching and securing
the instrument, this does not mean that they should be viewed as a primary solution to a
72
Maintaining a balanced body structure depends on four important factors that will
1. Sitting habits
2. Appropriate chair
While the Alexander Technique and Body Mapping method provide long-term
order to find a chair and guitar support that will encourage this same healthy approach to
sitting. Since standing tires the legs and sitting tires the back, the advantage of this
halfway location called “perching” is that it evenly distributes the work of upright sitting
angle that will serve as a model for building an appropriate chair. Chairs that encourage
Perching chairs would be an ideal solution for maintaining a healthy body use
while sitting and holding an instrument. But the reality is that these chairs are not as
playing, guitarists should pay attention to the seat height, which should be no greater than
86
Gary Cranz, “The Alexander Technique in the World of Design: Posture and The Common
Chair,” Journal of Body Work and Movement Therapies, 2000, 161.
73
the top of knee minus two inches.87 The chair should also have a firm-textured surface
and a flat, uncontoured seat. When the proper chair is chosen, Cranz suggests using it
1. Both feet should be flat on the floor (helps organize the spine upward)
2. The knees should be lower than the hip sockets (takes strain of lower back)
6. The head should be balanced on the top of spine (not resting back and down on it)
7. The eyes should be able to look at work or people within 15 degree zone (not
To make the knees lower than the hip sockets, I recommend putting a pillow on a chair.
Besides Cranz’s suggestions for how to chose and use a proper chair, every
guitarist needs to learn how to properly sit and approach the instrument. By learning how
to sit on the rockers or “sit bones,” a player will avoid letting the pelvis roll backward and
secure the instrument by moving from the hip joint. The best way to find the rockers is to
sit on your own hands and explore rocking back and forth, or side to side.
The next step is to bring the instrument towards the torso at a height that will
retain the body’s natural balance. The height is ideal when a player can play in both
lower and upper positions of the fingerboard without twisting on the side (usually left) or
clenching the shoulders. Aaron Shearer suggests five ways of moving the guitar in
87
Ibid.,156.
88
Ibid.
74
relationship to torso. Each one should be explored and adjusted accordingly so that the
2. Tilting the bottom of the guitar in our out on your left thigh
5. Moving the entire guitar to the right or left in relation to your torso89
And finally, after all this exploration, your instrument should be approached securely so
should be encouraged instead of a footstool. Keeping both feet flat on the floor, as
suggested by Cranz, provides better support for the spine and its movement (forward and
up) thus making a guitar support a healthier long-term solution for obtaining balance.
Using a footstool, on the other hand, not only upsets the equilibrium of the entire body by
adding extra tension to the left side of the body, but also destroys the 135-degree
relationship between the left leg and the spine. This asymmetrical approach to an
instrument often encourages the body to lean towards the left side in order to reach the
guitar neck, or even worse: it can encourage both good posture and relaxation diseases.
Numerous guitar supports exist, and there is the potential hazard of choosing a
support that can bring only one side of the instrument to the appropriate height. The
89
Aaron Shearer, Learning the Classic Guitar, Part One: Technique (Pacific: Mel Bay
Publications, Inc., 1990), 14.
75
Ergo-Play is a solution to this problem as it can be adjusted to raise an instrument to
optimal height on both sides, and therefore keep the advantageous body organization.
Another reason for favoring guitar support is that a footstool and an inappropriate chair
can both interfere with the balanced relationship between the head, the neck, and the
whole and furthermore in the functioning of all of the human organisms. The concept of
primary control provides a “focal point of the system.”90 It is attained by freeing the
pressure between the head and the neck at the A.O. joint (place of balance 1) that initiates
The interference of the primary control is what causes problems for many
guitarists. As Cranz concludes, many chair designs can interfere with the primary control,
but a balanced body structure in playing can only be attained through a proper use of the
primary control. Frank Pierce Jones (1976) describes the proper use and misuse of the
primary control:
When the primary control is functioning as it should, it is sensed as an integrating force that
preserves freedom of movement throughout the system, so that energy can be directed to the place
where it is wanted without developing strain either there or elsewhere. Misuse of the primary
control, on the other hand, is always reflected by misuses somewhere else; this appears in the form
of awkwardness, fatigue, and what Wilfred Barlow, a London physician and pupil of Alexander,
calls ‘maldistributed muscle tension,’ or overtension at one place accompanied by undertension
(lack of tone) at another.91
90
Alexander, as cited in Cranz, 92.
91
Jones, as cited in Carol P. McCullough, Fundamentals of Upper String Playing and The
Alexander Technique, http://www.alexandercenter.com/pa/stringsiii.html (accessed November 10, 2014), 2.
76
It is important for every guitar player to understand that “the optimal relationship of the
head to the neck is not a fixed position, but a dynamic balance by which the weight of the
head is balanced under the changing conditions of the body in activity.”92 Simply by
keeping the neck in one position while playing, the head-neck relationship will be
disturbed.
the skull (the neck muscles) have more nerve receptors than any other muscles.93 Sensory
input is important physiologically since sensory nerves from the neck muscles have an
affect on the brain control of muscle. He explains how neck muscles have an affect on
the control of the muscles in movement. Turning the head inappropriately, contracts the
neck muscles, and prepares the other muscles (trunk and limb muscles) for action.94 Jones
In malposture, muscles in various combinations and degrees of tension have shortened, displacing
the head or holding it in a fixed position. Head displacement would have an adverse effect on the
rest of the body partly because of the added weight and strain put on muscles and ligaments, but
largely, I believe, because of the interference in the righting reflexes by abnormal pressure on the
joints of the neck.95
contribute to the development of mal-posture. Putting pressure on the joints of the neck
displaces a head and creates strain on the back muscles and ligaments, which leads to
misalignment of the spine and the body. On the other hand, the use of a guitar support
encourages the idea of whole body balance by reducing the effects of asymmetrical
92
McCullough, 1.
93
Garlick, as cited in McCullough, 2.
94
Ibid.
95
Jones, as cited in McCullough, 3.
77
posture while holding an instrument and thereby lessening the pressure on the nerves in
the spine.
Another habit that upsets the relationship between the head and the neck in guitar
playing is sticking the head/neck towards the guitar neck. This simple act can also
stimulate a faulty reflex pattern that Jones (1976) calls a “startle pattern” and describes as
follows: “… the chin thrusts forward as the neck muscles contract. The shoulders are
lifted and the arms extended, the chest is flattened and the knees are fixed.”96 This
position is a common reaction to stress and can be triggered by the stage fright, especially
When obtaining balance, the skeletal structure counteracts the pull of gravity—a
response of the human structure as the upward thrust from the ground counteracted by the
use of the extensor muscles. When the antigravity response is fully functioning, as
McCullough states, there is no sense of effort needed to achieve the lengthening of the
back.98 In other words, if a player’s spine is in full function, there will be no sense of
Understanding gravity and the antigravity response can help on many levels of
playing. For example, a gravity force is very helpful in releasing the unnecessary tension
in the left hand technique. When the left hand is organized well, gravity works on
player’s behalf, and unnecessary finger pressure is decreased. Contrary to this, when the
96
Jones, as cited in McCullough, 2-3.
97
Feldenkrais, as cited in Royle and Calf, 2.
98
McCullough, 5.
78
left hand is working against gravity, excessive force in pressing of the strings is
inevitable.
While every guitarist focuses on numerous exercises for building their technical
efficiency, very few of them pay attention to the proper use of the self in this process.
After studying and examining materials in this document, it should be clear that
technique, whether good or bad, is a manifestation of the continuous “use of the self.”
From this perspective, technique can be redefined as an “implied use of the self.”100 As
functioning (technique) you must change use.”101 [Italics mine]. Simply put, to improve
99
Alcantara redefines technique.
100
Ibid., 175.
101
Ibid., 176.
79
CHAPTER 8
THE SELF-ACCOMPLISHED
CONSCIOUS GUITARIST
life, he was asked if he ever stopped working on himself. He replied: “I dare not!”102
Guitar students, too, should never stop working on themselves. If one follows
• The CG re-trains his/her kinesthetic sense along with the other senses
• The CG cultivates the whole arm movement for greater freedom in playing
102
Alcantara, 276.
80
• The CG maintains a balance by allowing the dynamic head-neck-spine
relationship
• The CG is aware of the “good posture” and “relaxation” disease in playing and
teaching
• The CG practices the principles of “good use” and sets up an example for his/her
students
81
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